SHE first posted a video on YouTube of herself singing Ombak Rindu in 2012. Her version of the hit song, made popular by Hafiz Suip and Adira, raked in over a million views on her official YouTube account, Cassidy La Creme.
And since then, 29-year-old Aussie Cassidy Anderson went on to cover other popular Malay tunes, including Amy Search’s Tiada Lagi, Sudah Ku Tahu by Projector Band and Teman Pengganti by Black and Malique.
From doing covers, Anderson, or Kasidah as she calls herself, is thrilled to finally have a Malay tune to call her own.
Titled Seperti Dia, this recently-released love ballad, composed by Mike Chan and Ezra Kong, is distributed under Warner Music Malaysia.
Anderson, who now calls Kuala Lumpur her home, said that since she had not mastered Bahasa Melayu, she spent a full day working on the correct pronunciation before taking another three days to understand the context.
“I want to understand what I’m singing. I don’t want to simply memorise the lyrics without knowing what every word means. To me, it’s disrespectful to the language,” she said at An Evening With Warner Music Malaysia event at The Bee in Publika, Kuala Lumpur, recently.
Anderson said there were plans to promote the single to the huge Malay community in Australia.
“That would be great! I’d love to share my music with them.”
A huge fan of Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Anderson knows most of the songs by Malaysia’s No. 1 singer. Her favourites are Cindai, Biarlah Rahsia and Muara Hati (a duet with Hafiz).
She first fell in love with the Malay culture and its language while working in Singapore five years ago.
“I started hanging out with my Malay friends who then introduced me to their culture. We watched a lot of Malay movies and listened to Malay songs. After awhile, I was hooked!” said Anderson, who once worked at Universal Studios Singapore, impersonating Marilyn Monroe.
In 2012, she was nominated for the Social Media Nova category at the prestigious regional music awards Anugerah Planet Muzik.
Since then she has been counting her blessings and enjoying positive feedback from her fans.
“Music is what I am passionate about and I feel fortunate to be able to do this for a living,” said Anderson who has no problem conversing in basic Malay.
“I have so much more to learn on grammar and vocabulary.”
Currently single, Anderson is practically “married” to her work.
“I have dated Malay men before. Saya belum kahwin (I’m not married) and I’m not in a serious relationship since I am bogged down with work,” she said, before breaking into a laugh.